One

ROSE POINT OF VIEW

The screams of the people filled the air as everyone ran in every direction, clearly terrified for their lives. Why today, of all days—on my wedding day? The horrifying cries of my pack members, the nauseating scent of blood, and the scattered limbs on the floor were too much to bear.

I wanted to run, but adrenaline froze me in place, keeping me from fleeing as my fiancé, Marcus, gripped my hands tightly. I hid behind him, hoping his presence would offer some protection. The attackers soon invaded our pack home—large wolves baring their teeth, ready to kill, and a few men riding on horseback. "Looks like there's nowhere left for you to run, Alpha Kane," my uncle said, a wicked grin spreading across his face. By this time, the attackers had killed most of the guards and shut the Hall's door, trapping the few of us still alive. I stared at the scattered bodies of my family members on the floor—distant cousins, aunts—all of them had gathered for my wedding day, only to face a gruesome death.

"Cormac... I th-th-thought you were dead," my father stammered, looking at his brother like he had seen a ghost—which, in a way, he had. His evil brother, Cormac, whom he believed had died in battle years ago, had suddenly appeared, killing everyone for the sake of revenge. Cormac had always competed with my father for the position of alpha, even though my father deserved it more. In his prime, my father was powerful, but his younger brother, Cormac, was even stronger. However, unlike my father, who was wise and fit to lead, Cormac was evil and ruthless. When my father was chosen as alpha, it drove Cormac to gather his own army and launch an attack on the pack, hoping to seize control. That battle led to his apparent death—or so we thought.

"Oh, you thought wrong, big brother," Cormac said, laughing evilly as he dismounted his horse, a sinister glint in his eyes as he surveyed the destruction he had caused, clearly satisfied. "What have you done?" my father asked, his voice filled with pain as he took in the devastation of everything he had spent years building, now going up in flames in a single night.

Cormac wore an evil grin, a confidence I desperately wished could be shattered, as he walked toward my father, who stood there, unable to grasp the situation. It was a day straight out of his worst nightmare. My father had always been strong, and seeing him like this made me realize that there was no hope left for our pack. This could spell the end of it—and possibly our own untimely deaths.

"You animal," my father growled, poised to strike his brother. But Cormac immediately countered the attack, hitting him back hard, sending my father crashing to the ground. He groaned in pain, struggling to catch his breath.

"Father!" I cried out in agony as I tried to reach him and offer some help, but my soon-to-be husband, Marcus, held me back tightly. No matter how I struggled against his grip, I couldn't break free. He pulled me back, whispering quietly, "It will do you more good if you do not involve yourself in their affairs."

I looked back at him, unable to process what he was saying. How could he be so calm and indifferent in such a dire situation? Marcus showed no expression—no fear, no pity for my suffering, nothing at all. He just stared ahead, making sure he held on to my hand tightly.

"Let go of my hand, Marcus! Father is suffering—I have to help him," I said, struggling against his grip while Marcus stared at me coldly.

"Do not get involved in this, or I’ll be forced to use painful tactics to shut your mouth."

I stared at him, confused. Why would he say this to me in the middle of such danger? He had never spoken to me like that before, and hearing him say it now was bewildering. I tried to make sense of it, but my mind was too occupied with the sight of my father being tortured on the ground. Tears welled up in my eyes as I tried to reach him, but I couldn’t.

"You have always been such a fool, big brother," Cormac sneered as he leaned down and grabbed my father roughly by the hair. It broke my heart to see my father in such a pathetic state. I knew there wasn’t much he could do to defend himself—he was old and sick. I screamed as my uncle delivered a brutal blow to my father’s face, sending him crashing to the ground again, blood pouring from his nose in an alarming amount.

"Let go of me, Marcus!" I cried out, struggling harder, desperate to break free and run to my father. But this seemed to anger my fiancé, who pulled me back and delivered a hard slap that sent me tumbling to the ground.

I looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, clutching my stinging cheek. This caught my uncle Cormac’s attention as he said, "Easy on that one, Marcus. Her face is too pretty. My men will need her for entertainment later." His tone was so disgusting it nearly made me nauseous. At that moment, I noticed my uncle’s familiarity with Marcus as I stared at him.

Marcus returned my gaze with an evil smile. "I know what you are probably thinking, and you are not wrong," he said, pausing to glance at my uncle, who was still focused on beating my father. "I’m his stepson, not some lowly rogue like you might have thought. The only reason I pretended to be a rogue was to infiltrate this pack and feed him vital information. I was nothing but a spy, and when I saw we were fated mates, I used that to my advantage," he said with a smirk, infuriating me more than anything.

Was this really happening, or was I dreaming? I couldn’t help but wonder at that moment. This was the man I had fallen so deeply in love with, the man I was about to spend the rest of my life with, and it turns out he was just a spy for my uncle. He never truly cared about me, and on our wedding day, he had penetrated my pack’s defenses and given my uncle the information needed to destroy us.

A severe ache spread through my heart—a combination of seeing my father weak and covered in blood from the beatings he had endured and realizing the man I loved had betrayed me so deeply. I struggled to accept this reality. I fought back the tears that threatened to flow freely down my face.

"This can’t be real," I muttered under my breath.

"It is real, my love," Marcus said with an evil glint in his eyes, his behavior now a stark contrast to the one I had fallen in love with. He was an animal, a monster. Tears rolled effortlessly down my face as I struggled to stand, but I collapsed again, too weak from the pain in my heart.

I saw my father still being beaten, barely clinging to life, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to react. I tried to stand, to go to him, but Marcus grabbed me by the hair, yanking me to my feet. I winced in pain as tears streamed down my face. "You just don't learn, do you?" he growled in my ear.

"You bastard!" I screamed, "How could you betray me like this, on my wedding day?" I struggled to release his grip, but it was useless. "You will rot in hell for this! You will burn in hell!" My words only made him smile, as if I had said something amusing.

"I’ll go to hell one day, but today, you’ll watch your entire pack and father lead the way there first," he said, shoving me to the ground. I hit the floor with a painful thud, closing my eyes as agony surged through my body.

"You have served your time on earth well, older brother. Now, it’s time to give you the death you deserve." I looked up to see my father forced to his knees, barely able to hold himself up. My uncle took an axe from one of his warriors and walked toward my father with it. My heart raced as I shook my head, muttering, "No, no, no," over and over. I knew what was about to happen, and I’d rather die than let it.

Through tearful eyes, I looked at my father, who gave me a weak smile and whispered through our mind link, "Sorry I couldn't protect you." Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to stand, my legs trembling. I wanted to run to him, but Marcus held me back. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t break free.

"Please don’t," I begged, crying, "Please don’t, please don’t, leave him alone! I’ll do anything!" I hit Marcus’s chest with my free hand, screaming for him to let me go, but he only smiled wickedly, clearly enjoying my suffering.

"Please, he’s your brother. Don’t kill him, he didn’t do anything wrong," I pleaded with Cormac, who stared at me.

"Sorry you’ll have to watch your father die today," he said without a trace of remorse. He turned back to my father, raising the axe. "Any last words?" he asked. My father said nothing, just gave me a warm smile.

I struggled harder against Marcus, desperate to be by my father's side, but I couldn’t. Then, in one swift motion, the axe came down, severing my father’s head from his body. I watched in horror as his head rolled on the ground, his lifeless body collapsing after it.

I froze in shock, unable to process what had just happened. Should I scream? Cry? Get angry? I couldn’t feel anything. My father, who was alive just moments ago, now lay headless before me.

I looked at my uncle, who stared back, blood dripping from the axe he held. He flashed me an evil smile. Unable to bear it any longer, I crumbled to the floor. Everything went blurry, my body felt light, and my vision darkened as I slipped into unconsciousness.

Everything I held dear had been destroyed in mere minutes.